Hunted
by TV Manic 2
Summary: Sequel to ‘Retribution’ - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat “You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you’ve got, there’s not much left of it...” Johnnycentric :
1. Blackout

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

This isn't stealing...I'm just borrowing without asking...

**Author's Notes:**

As said in the summary, this is the sequel to 'Retribution' my previous Fan4 fic. It would probably be wise to read that first if you haven't already, but you could probably get away with not. This is set one/two years on from Retribution

In advance, I do not know much about Doom's past, but I know he is aristocracy or something. I have made up this history as far as I know, I apologise now if I'm completely wrong, but it works with the plotline :P

Sorry this has taken so long, but I got distracted by shiny things. I hope you like :D

* * *

**Chapter One: Blackout**

**Twenty Years Ago**

**Latveria**

There was nothing more thrilling than the Call of the Hunt.

It created an excitement that shivered through the bones. First the hounds would pick up the scent while the huntsmen waited patiently on horseback. Then the dogs would run off. _The prey was close by_. They would howl chillingly causing a ripple of anticipation through the troupe. The Pursuit. Blood pumped quicker, adrenaline coursed faster, bloodlust grew. They would gallop and leap through the fields and trees and over hedges and gates...

The primal desires would take over as the chase drew to a close. _The prey was trapped_. _No escape_. Sometimes it would cower pathetically; sometimes it would never give up the fight until it was stone cold dead. It would yap and bark and growl; whimper, moan and whine. The Kill.

It depended on the group as to their method. Some would be sympathetic and make it quick. A bullet to the brain. Some would even let the creature go. _The prey gazed up at the huntsmen, hoping for them to be merciful._ _They had had their fun. The game was up_. Other huntsmen were more violent, more animalistic. Some would tear the prey apart, with their blades or just their bare hands; again, it depends. Some would drag out the torture...wound the beast and then let it keep running. Give it hope and then rip it away.

They could hunt the same prey for days. Running it down, weakening it until it no longer had the will to continue. They would break the prey down until it surrendered pitifully. _The prey whined mournfully as it collapsed before the hunters._ Now they would end its torture. Put it out of its misery.

_But what would be the fun in that?_

Victor Von Doom eagerly awaited the howl of the dogs. His horse shuffled restlessly, snorting and huffing. This was only his second hunt. He was the youngest of the troupe, just eighteen-years-old, but he could ride the fastest. He had reached the prey first last time. He had been allowed the honour of deciding its fate.

His short black hair was neatly groomed and his traditional red uniform was immaculately kept. He was of thin build with hidden lean muscles making him stronger than he looked. His dark eyes glinted with a natural malice in the murky moonlight.

The howl! Long, loud and shrill. It pierced through the cool night air, music to Victor's ears. He kicked his horse into action, causing it to whinny loudly before it galloped toward the dogs' calls. At first he stayed in pace with the group. He had yet to learn the art of tracking the prey and it would be no good if he got himself lost.

The troupe hurtled through the trees, skilfully dodging low-hanging branches and leaping over fallen trunks. Distant owls hooted their displeasure and the undergrowth grew silent with fear as the huntsmen passed.

The pursuit for this prey was surprisingly short. The bay of the hounds was close. Victor licked his lips in longing for the kill. He surged forward, taking advantage of his lighter weight that allowed him to go faster. Before long the dogs were getting louder as the hooves of the groups' horses grew quieter. He was alone; the kill was so close he could taste the blood...

There! They had the prey cornered. The hounds bared their teeth and growled at the fox, waiting for their master to finish the task. A murderous grin lit up Victor's features as he studied the prey. It was a fine specimen. Young, fit, stubborn. Its brown-red fur bristled as it hissed at the dogs. Its black eyes were still full of life. It probably had more chase left in him, but he just had nowhere to go.

Victor analysed the prey to fathom what the best method for killing it was. It was no old dog that needed a mercy kill. It wasn't weak and pathetic. Victor even considered letting it go before the troupe arrived so that it could believe it had a chance for freedom...Victor passed over the expensive hunting rival he had tied to his horse's saddle. He would not be shooting this prey. Instead he found the wooden handle of the knife he had sheathed next to the gun.

The galloping of the troupe was getting louder as they approached. It would unprofessional for Victor to kill before the rest of the huntsmen arrived. Besides it _was_ their hunt as well. He decided to wait. He crouched before the cornered fox, the hounds surrounding him, and stared into its eyes. The fox stared back, not yet willing to give up.

Slowly, Victor unsheathed the weapon, allowing the fox to see the wicked blade glint in the moonlight. He knew the fox understood what was to happen. Somehow they had connected. The predator had found his prey.

"Victor!" came a disgruntled shout as the thundering of hooves came to an abrupt stop nearby. Annoyed, the teenager swivelled his head to acknowledge the troupe leader, Gastoul. A silent communication passed between them. The elder man seemed to flinch slightly beneath Victor's malevolent gaze. "It's your kill."

Gleefully Victor brandished the blade, an evil smile lifting his lips and darkening his face. The fox snarled one last stubborn snarl before its hunter ended his life.

Blood and fur and torn flesh spurted and sprayed as Victor Von Doom ripped his prey to shreds.

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

**Present Day**

The wedding dress was beautiful. The white bodice was intricately embroidered with clear beads and wrapped flatteringly around the bride's small waist. The soft linen then fell from the waist to the floor, the many petticoats hidden beneath. She wore dainty white shoes that clicked as she walked.

Alicia stared, without seeing, at her reflection in the mirror. Her long black hair had been pinned up and a small tiara perched on her head. She gently swayed and the long skirt waved around her ankles. She was getting married.

A lovesick grin lit up her face as she thought excitedly about her fiancé. Ben Grimm was perfect for her, and she for him. She loved him for the kind, caring man he was when others only saw his rocky exterior. He loved her for her understanding and support. She remembered what he had said when he had proposed to her in Ernie's Bar

"_Alicia Masters, you are the most amazing person I have ever met. You made my life worth living when I couldn't, and for that I owe you my life. Will you do me the honour of making me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?"_

How could she refuse? And now here she was, a year later, dressed and ready for her wedding.

"Are you nervous?" asked the raven-haired woman that was perched nearby. Alicia turned to the sound of the voice, knowing that her wide grin was clearly visible.

The woman was Dr. Kayla Maiden, a relatively recent addition to the Fantastic Four team. She was a trauma surgeon who had lost her job after an unfortunate accident had changed her quite dramatically. Alicia could always feel the cold that radiated from her because of her icy powers. Though she never went on missions with the team (they're not the Fantastic _Five_ after all) she still proved useful as a fully trained medic. She had saved Johnny's life when Doom had attacked the Baxter Building last year and stabbed the Torch.

"I can't believe it's finally here," Alicia murmured in disbelief. Her smile grew even wider. "I'm getting _married_!"

"Yes you are," agreed Sue as she just finished adjusting her blonde hair. She and Kayla wore matching deep purple bridesmaid dresses that were decorated with silver rose patterns on the end of the skirts. Sue picked up her bouquet of midnight blue roses and turned to her friend. "You know I've been waiting for you and Ben to get hitched for a long time. When I first met you I knew the pair of you were meant to be."

"I love him so much," gushed Alicia as she sighed longingly.

"I should hope so if your marrying the guy," Kayla joked. She rummaged around for the watch she had taken off earlier and checked the time. "When are we meant to be at the church?"

"The limo will pick us up at half nine so that we're at the church for ten. The guys should already be there," Sue replied. She applied a light bit of makeup to her cheek. "Speaking of guys, who's giving you away?"

Alicia smiled sadly. Her father was in prison following his maniacal Puppet Master reign where he had attacked the Fantastic Four by controlling them with radioactive clay. "My father...won't be, for obvious reasons. I asked Johnny to do it. He did such a good job at Sue's weddings, and I love him like a brother too. It just seemed to fit."

* * *

**St. Peter's Church**

"So you ready for this Ben?" asked Johnny with a grin on his face. He had never seen the rock man so nervous. The Thing visibly shook as he stood near the altar. Johnny received an annoyed glance from both Ben and his best man Reed. "What?"

"Don't start Johnny," groaned Reed tiredly. Ever since the Torch had found out about the engagement and the wedding he had been making jokes and remarks. It was just his way of saying congratulations but it was starting to wear them down.

St. Peter's Church was huge and old. The walls were constructed of heavy grey stones and there were large stained-glass windows. Deep purple rose bouquets decorated the edges of the rows of pews that ran up either side of the aisle. Already people were starting to pour in, eager to see the celebrity wedding. The three men at the front of the church looked impeccable in their black and white suits.

About ten minutes passed as they waited for the ladies to arrive. The loud rumble of an old fashioned engine could be heard from within the church. Seconds later Kayla popped her head round the door at the back where the bride would enter and gestured for Johnny. Quickly he stood up and patted Ben on the arm, "Good Luck Ben, you're a lucky man." He took two steps before turning to Reed "You remembered the rings right?"

Reed's face melted into an expression of pure panic as Johnny left. Ben just stared at his best man "You didn't."

Desperately Reed patted his pockets trying to find them. After a few seconds that felt like years to Ben, Reed sighed with relief as he withdrew the small box from inside his jacket. "Phew, I got them. We're good."

* * *

The loud organ struck up the opening bar of the Wedding March. The entire congregation stood and turned expectantly to the door at the back of the church. Ben took a deep breath, his nerves giving way to excitement and happiness.

The doors opened and a young flower girl entered. She grabbed handfuls of petals from the basket that hung from her arm and scattered them down the aisle. Then followed the Maid of Honour, Susan Richards, and the Bridesmaid, Kayla Maiden. They both smiled as they walked.

Then came the Bride. Alicia Masters, dressed all in white, walked down the aisle. She had her arm hooked with Johnny's, relying on him to guide her as well as give her away. She was so beautiful. Ben thanked his lucky stars that he had found someone as fantastic as Alicia. His heart actually fluttered as she came closer and beamed at him.

As they reached the altar Sue and Kayla split up, Sue stood next to Reed who was on Ben's right, and Kayla stepped to the left and waited for Johnny. He gently lifted Alicia's veil and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek before helping her up the steps. The music came to an end as Ben and Alicia stood opposite each other and held hands.

"We are gathered here today..."

* * *

"I now pronounce you Man and Wife." The Vicar finished. He smiled warmly. "You may now kiss the Bride."

The congregation stood and applauded politely as Ben gently placed a kiss on Alicia's lips. But that's when it all went wrong.

Suddenly the lights in the church went out. Panicked whispers filled the seemingly endless abyss. Something wasn't right_. It's broad daylight outside, there should be light through the windows, _thought Reed. But there wasn't. The darkness was so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Their eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness.

"Ben? Ben? What's going on?" asked Alicia, sensing the tension.

"Th-The lights...It's just gone black..." Ben vaguely explained, the confusion evident in his voice. "Reed? What the hell is this?"

"I don't know," admitted Reed. The darkness was unnatural, that much was certain. It wasn't the right time of year for an eclipse, and even if it was, it was _too_ dark. "Johnny, light."

Silence.

"Johnny? Light!" Reed ordered slightly more forcefully. He had a moment to wonder why the young man didn't answer before he was blinded. The light returned, but after the pitch blackness it was far too bright for his dilated eyes. They all blinked furiously trying to readjust to another lighting change.

Once he could see again, Reed scanned the room. They were still in the church. They hadn't moved at all. There still seemed to be the same amount of people in the congregation. Nothing seemed to have changed at all. Except for one thing.

Johnny was gone.

* * *

**:D The First Chapter!**

**Thank you very much to everyone who read, reviewed, or favourited 'Retribution' and 'Lights Out', I hope you are just as nice and do the same for the sequel :P**

**I will attempt to update quickly, but I _finally_ got the Sims 3 working and I am very easily distracted :D**


	2. Elysium

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

They're Mine! All Mine! Mwahahahaha! (Except for the unfortunate part where they're not)

**Author's Notes:**

Thanks to ebuchala, Lil' Kanny, marinawings, xxClois-LoverXX, and Penny3 for reviewing!

I'm very sorry for such a late update, I got serious writers block. My muse ran away when I decided to play Sims3 instead of write XD

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Elysium**

**St Peter's Church, New York**

"What the hell just happened?" exclaimed Sue, panic and confusion making her voice higher than usual. Only moments ago they had been happily applauding Ben and Alicia, and now...now Johnny had just...disappeared. Sue turned expectantly to Reed for some sort of explanation.

"I'm sorry Sue, I really don't know," Reed replied honestly. Already his mind was racing trying to pinpoint the source of the blackout. It was unnatural, that much was certain, it must have been man-made. This must have been done on purpose. He turned to his wife and embraced her reassuringly. "It's gonna be okay, we're gonna find him."

"How do you know that Reed?" Sue suddenly snapped. Her voice was shaking with concern and fear. She pulled away from Reed. "Tell me how you know that. Literally, one minute he was here, next minute he wasn't. How are we gonna find him?"

_Why does this keep happening?_ wondered Sue. Only last year she had almost watched her brother die – she still remembered how pale his face had been. And then again, the same day, Doom had shocked him bad enough to knock him out, making Sue fear the worse. He had been different after that day. He wasn't obvious about it, only she seemed to have noticed, but he had been ever so slightly more cautious; and he visibly flinched whenever Doom was bought up in conversation. Sue had always just assumed that it was just because Doom had nearly killed him; but maybe there was more to it...

Reed sighed heavily, dragging Sue from her frightful thoughts. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "We will find a way. We always do."

* * *

**Elsewhere**

_Okay, Ow. That hurt, _thought Johnny.

His whole body ached. He felt drained and weak. Something definitely wasn't right. Only moments ago he had been in the church. _Maybe I'm still there, _wondered Johnny. _I should probably open my eyes..._

_Oh God that's bright! _He exclaimed as he quickly squeezed his eyelids shut again. Patterns and fuzzy lines ran across his vision as he felt a new pain. His head hurt like hell. Ever so carefully he lifted a hand to his head and gingerly touched the newly found cut that had materialised beneath his hairline. He could feel the blood trickling down the side of his face.

More cautiously this time, he blinked opened his eyes, slowly adjusting them to the light. He was staring up at a ceiling that had a large ornate light fitting hanging from it. It didn't seem so bright anymore. Carefully he scanned the room. Movement was proving to be a bad thing, but he wasn't just going to lie there. The room was incredibly old-fashioned and castle-like in design. The grey stones reminded Johnny of the church, and for a moment he thought he was still there, but these walls were older. The flagstone floor beneath him was cold and uncomfortable. He dragged himself into a sitting position.

He felt cold. He probably wasn't actually cold, but compared to his normal body temperature he was absolutely freezing. He shivered a bit as he looked around. The room was far too big to be a cell; and there was an old door and several windows that could easily provide an escape route. As Johnny managed to stand he realised he was still wearing his suit from the wedding, although his jacket had mysteriously disappeared and with it, his cell phone. "Where the hell am I?"

Suddenly the wooden door burst open, revealing the silhouette of the man who had haunted Johnny's nightmares;

"Welcome to Elysium."

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

It had been a whole hour since they had last seen Johnny.

At the church they had quickly dispatched the guests, although a few had trailed them back to the Baxter Building to satisfy their curiosity. As soon as they had arrived they parted ways. Reed disappeared into his lab to invent some fantastic locating device and bury himself in facts and research. Kayla withdrew to the newly created Medical Room. Sue hovered around, riveted by worry and a sense of uselessness. Ben and Alicia had escaped to their room, secretly glad that they had made it through the ceremony despite the situation.

Their room had been revamped in the last year following the destruction caused by the Doombots when they had taken Alicia. It was light and airy with the walls painted in neutral shades and a large window capturing a great view of the New York City skyline. The wardrobe had been emptied before the wedding and two half-packed suitcases lay open on the bed. Ben sighed as he closed the lid of one and went to put it back "Guess we're gonna have to postpone the honeymoon."

"The Bahamas will still be there when we get Johnny back Ben," Alicia kindly chided as she carefully perched on the edge of the vanity table. She wore a dressing gown after having removed her dress but her hair was still trapped in a tiara. "Maybe we'll just have to go away for longer to make up for it."

"Yeah..." Ben agreed half-heartedly. He was disappointed. He knew and understood and cared that the circumstances had changed out of their favour, but the timing couldn't have been worse. _Well, actually it could have been,_ Ben corrected himself, _it could've happened _during_ the ceremony. _

Alicia smiled sadly, sensing Ben's disheartenment. She knew how much he had been looking forward to this much needed break, as well as the fact that it was their _wedding night._ They still hadn't quite worked all the kinks out of that feat yet. "Cheer up honey; everything will be back to normal soon and before you know it we'll be relaxing on a beach."

A knock sounded at the door and Ben called "Come in."

Sue gently opened the door and peeked inside. She sighed sympathetically when she saw Ben packing away the suitcases. "You guys should go," she decided. The newlyweds looked at her surprised. "I'm serious, you guys deserve it. Reed and I can handle this."

"Suzie, we're not going anywhere," Ben declined as he embraced her in a hug. He gave her a wide smile. "But let's just find Matchstick quick, okay?"

**

* * *

**

**Elysium, Latveria**

Johnny froze at the sound of Doom's voice. His blood ran cold as a shiver of fear ran down his spine. Flashes of the disjointed memories he had of _that _day ran through the Torch's mind. He quickly remembered the pain and the panic of being so close to death. Not many things scared him, he was a daredevil after all, but Doom was petrifying. Instinctively he took a step back and clicked his fingers to ignite a trusty flame.

But nothing happened.

He clicked again in frustration. Still there was nothing. That's why he had felt so cold...his powers...they had...gone?

A gleeful smile lit up Doom's veiled face as he strode further into the room. He had changed since the last time they had met; he no longer limped as badly and the unnerving clicking of his joints had stopped. But he still wore his trademark, expressionless mask and the heavy cloak. "Feel a little chilly Johnny?"

The Torch didn't reply. He glared at Doom with an expression he hoped was contempt.

"You wanna know why?" asked Doom playfully. Johnny remained stoically silent. "Do you remember at the church?" _Church, Ben, Wedding, darkness, _the thoughts raced through his head as he tried to remember. "The lights went out for a whole two moments; long enough to cover your exit. An agent of mine that I had staged at the wedding shot you with one of these:" Doom held up a small dart filled with a glittering red liquid. "This is a power suppressor, concocted from the very cosmic energy that made us in the first place."

Johnny visibly panicked. _Power suppressor? _

A hint of disappoint lined Doom's voice. "It's temporary; I'm working on a more permanent solution that doesn't involve luring the target into a rather obvious chamber."

"Why?" asked Johnny.

"Its simple really." Replied Doom condescendingly. "Revenge. Everything that happened that day was _your _fault. _You_ got in the way of my attempt to kill Reed when you rescued the blind girl. _You_ got in the way when I was _this close_ to killing Susan. _You_ got in the way; and now I'm going to make sure you _never_ get in my way again."

Johnny resisted the strong urge to gulp at Doom's sinister reasoning. He knew that this was not going to end well. His arch nemesis was hell bent on killing him and he had no idea where he was or how he'd get out. "What's Elysium?"

"Elysium, in Greek Mythology, is the section of the underworld reserved for the souls of the heroic and the virtuous," Doom explained. "It's also the name of these woods."

Johnny glanced out of the window finally noticing the sea of evergreens that filled the surrounding area. The late afternoon sun burned behind the rain-filled clouds. _Afternoon? It had been morning..._

"Do you know about my youth?" asked Doom as if to begin a casual conversation. Johnny knew better, the villain just wanted to monologue dramatically. "I grew up right here, in this castle in the middle of these woods in this great country. Latveria; it just sounds good, doesn't it?"

_Rhetorical question, _Johnny noted. He was stuck in Latveria, a whole continent away from home. Even if he managed to escape this castle he'd never get across the Atlantic without his powers. He just had to stall; stay alive long enough to get rid of the drugs. _Easier said than done._

"I was a handsome teenager; didn't have any of these scars, wasn't malformed. I was light, agile; and an excellent **[horse]** rider. I loved to hunt. It didn't matter what game; be it fox, rabbit or deer. I'd go out with the troupe and the hounds and track that prey down and kill it..." Doom allowed the sentence to hang and stared Johnny straight in the eyes, allowing the boy a moment to catch the hint.

_He's going to hunt me down..._ Johnny realised..._and kill me._

Doom caught the flicker of fear induced comprehension in Johnny's facial expression. He stepped to one side so that the path to the open door was clear and the hunting grounds beyond.

"You have one hour before I release the hounds."

* * *

**Cliff-hanger XD**

**Sorry if Ben seems a bit selfish, that wasn't what I was getting at; he's just disappointed that he has to postpone his honeymoon...I would be too :P It also took me ages to figure out the timezone difference between New York and Latveria, I _guessed_ it was about 6 hours so its still morning in America and afternoon in Europe. This could become very confusing.**

**Please review! They make me very happy!**

**(I will **_**attempt**_** a quick update lol)**


	3. Distance

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

Okay! Okay! I don't _actually_ own them...doesn't mean I can't pretend...

**Author's Notes:**

**Time Zones:** New York 14:00, Latveria 20:00 – an attempt to avoid confusion :P

Thanks to ebuchala, Dark Respite, marinawings, and Penny3 for reviewing!

BTW, I mention a super Skrull that I got from the 2006 cartoon series; absolutely no idea if he is in the comics :S

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Distance**

**Elysium, Latveria**

_What else could he have done?_

If he had stayed where he was in that castle, Doom would have just killed him. A macho showdown would have been futile, useless and suicidal. Without his powers Johnny was just as human as the rest of the population; and Doom...well Doom was a metal man that would electrocute as soon as look at you.

So he had run. It went against everything Johnny was about. Taking risks and beating the odds was his thing. He felt like a coward as he sprinted out of the old building. But he knew, logically, it had been the right thing. Now he had a chance – albeit a very slim one. He had to put as much distance between himself and Doom as he could in the next hour and then find some way to phone home.

Once outside, Johnny was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the woods. The trees towered over everything, casting the undergrowth in shadow. The canopy was thick because of how dense the wood was. The sky above was already dark and heavy with rain. It would be night soon. It was going to be a cold night, and the only protection he had was his thin white dress shirt and a vest. His smart shoes weren't exactly appropriate for running.

He ran a few yards into the woods, shocked by how dark it was. It paused for breath and took in his surroundings. He didn't wan't to get lost; he knew that the deeper in the woods he went the harder he would be to find. Which was good for avoiding Doom; but very bad if he ever wanted to be found by his family.

A distant howl from inside the castle compound jolted Johnny into action. Doom had _said_ that he had an hour's head start, but that wasn't necessarily the case. Instead of running straight ahead, Johnny veered slightly to the right so that he would miss the densest part of the woods.

His training from NASA kicked in. Stamina and fitness were very important for their pilots. Back in the day Jonny had had to run miles of rough terrain. But that was at a jog, not at a breakneck sprint. He panted heavily as he navigated his way through the trees and barely managed to avoid tripping over roots.

After only a few minutes his chest was burning and his legs ached; but he knew he had to keep going. He was going to make this as difficult for Doom as he possibly could.

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

The occupants of the Fantastic Four headquarters congregated in Reed's lab, waiting expectantly for him to reveal some fabulous insight that would lead to the location of their missing teammate. But Mr. Fantastic was drawing a blank.

Several blinking lights and bleeping sounds hummed rhythmically from the centre console. Reed placed a hand on Sue's shoulder in consolation. "I'm sorry Sue. I'm doing everything I can. I've rigged our satellite to identify heat sources at Johnny's temperature; it will take a whole day to complete the world sweep, but I can tell you that he's not in America. I've tried tracing his cell phone, but I can't pick up a signal. I've got every available channel open in case he tries to make contact with us. I'm trying Sue..."

Sue turned her back to him and quickly blinked away the tears that had been threatening to fall for the last three hours. Composed, she replied "I know Reed. I know how hard you're trying...b-but I just want him back. I _need_ to find him."

"And we will," stated Reed defiantly. "I'm just not quite sure how yet."

"Why don't you ask yourselves who did it?" suggested Kayla. She was the medic, that was her role and she stuck to it. Usually when the team had a decision to make she stayed out of it, only giving her opinion when asked. But she felt like they were approaching this wrong. "What happened at the church was intentional, right? So _who_ would/could do that? And who has a vendetta against Johnny?"

"Apart from every villain we've ever met?" retorted Ben while raising his stony brow. Kayla rolled her eyes at him. "Well that Super Skrull had a major stick up his ass after Johnny won that trial thing last year..."

"Yeah, but could he literally suck light out of a room?" asked Kayla. Ben shrugged as Reed contemplated. "How do you even suck the light out of a room? That's not even possible...is it?"

Sue remained quiet during the debate over the culprit. As far as she was concerned there was only one person who would do this. The one person she had actually seen her brother be afraid of, the one person who was absolutely hell bent on revenge. The nemesis that had haunted them since the beginning; "Doom."

Reed looked at his wife and saw the certainty, and the hatred, in her eyes as she uttered the single syllable. The debate ended instantly, no one else was considered. "I'll reset the satellite to sweep Latveria."

* * *

**Elysium Castle**

Doom waited ever-so-patiently in the parlour of his castle. As with the rest of the structure, the room was richly decorated in deep reds and dark mahogany and was lit by old fashioned chandeliers. He sat straight-backed in his velvet seated wingback and stared at the large grandfather clock that ticked at an agonisingly slow pace.

It had been three-quarters of an hour since he had let the boy start running. He was assured that the power suppressor would last at least four hours by his league of scientists. He had reinforced all the parameters round the woods to make sure the boy couldn't escape. In ten minutes he would saddle up his horse and release the hounds.

He hoped the prey would last longer than two hours; otherwise it wouldn't be as fun. He had high hopes that this prey would put up quite a fight, if not a good hunt. Two minutes ticked by. Doom knew his prey well. The prey was well trained, would be able to run for longer than most. The prey was arrogant, cocky; and afraid. Yes...this would be a very fun hunt indeed.

Abruptly the doors opened and two men entered. The shorter, slimier looking man was Leonard, Doom's forever faithful assistant, and the other was Gastoul. The older man was grey and wizened and yet still as strong and tough as he ever was when he had led the hunt all those years ago. His eyes were a cold blue colour that had seen too much terror. A hideous scar divided his face in half, running from his right eyebrow across the bridge of his nose and down past his left cheek. He spoke with a gruff voice "Good Evening Victor."

"Gastoul," Doom replied by way of greeting. They had known each other too long to get bogged down in pleasantries. Gastoul was one of the only men Doom would allow to call him Victor. They had been equals once, and Doom respected that; but now he was superior. "Shall we begin the next phase?"

"I can be in New York in one hour," Gastoul answered. He was to take the Doom jet which was a lot faster than commercial flights. He already knew what he was to do and planned to do it well.

"See to it that you have returned with the package in two and a half hours," Doom ordered. He stood from his chair as the clock struck the hour. A loud ruckus of dogs baying could be heard from the courtyard below. They howled as they were released after the prey. "That's when the true Game begins."

* * *

**Elysium Wood**

Exhaustion racked through his body as he forced himself to pound onwards. Ahead of him were trees; behind him were trees. Everywhere he looked he just saw endless evergreens enclosing around him. He had lost his sense of direction a long time ago now; all that mattered was that he kept going.

His chest and throat burned with every short breath he took. His legs felt like jelly beneath him. Johnny could feel himself losing speed as he struggled to continue. He wished he had his watch. Had it been an hour? It certainly felt like it. It felt like he had been running for days. For all he knew the hounds were already after him, with Doom not far behind.

He had sloshed through the few small rivers he had come across to try and throw off his scent but he doubted it had made any difference. The bottom of his trousers were wet and stuck to his skin.

The dark sky grew even darker as the storm clouds gathered. A low rumble of thunder reverberated around the forest, closely followed by a bright blue flash. Abruptly, the heavens opened and bucketed tons of water upon the earth. It caught in the thick canopy and dropped down in heavy droplets that Johnny welcomed onto his hot skin.

A blood chilling howl erupted through the darkness. Though it was relatively quiet, and sounded quite a distance away, Johnny knew that the hounds had to be close. The howl had made it above the volume of the rain and the thunder.

The hounds were coming.

* * *

**Yet another glorious cliff-hangar...XD...and a really quick update! I will try and be just as quick for the next chapter, but I make no guarantees!**


	4. The Hounds

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

What? I _don't _own fantastic four? No one ever told me that!

**Author's Notes:**

**Time Zones:** New York 15:00, Latveria 21:00

Thanks to ebuchala, Lil' Kanny, marinawings, and Penny3 for reviewing! Sorry for not personally replying to all my reviewers, I just never know what to say except thanks :S

**This chapter is dedicated to my rabbit Toffee who died on Saturday morning from flystrike. RIP sweetheart.**

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Four: The Hounds**

Adrenaline was the only thing that kept Johnny running.

The bloodcurdling howls of the hunting dogs kept getting closer and closer as he desperately tried to shake them. He veered hard to the right, disappearing into a thick clump of trees. But still the hounds came. He could hear them panting now. They were so close.

He burst through into a clearing. The torrential rain fell freely from the sky and the lightening flashed brightly, lighting the dark forest. He was surrounded by evergreens, soaked through to the skin by the rain, and exhausted from the chase. Breathing was becoming more and more difficult as his throat and chest burned. The hounds got closer.

Suddenly, Johnny felt a heavy weight on his back that dragged him down to his knees. He quickly threw the four-legged culprit off and tried to get up, to keep running. Another dog leapt at him and knocked him flat on his back. They snarled at him with bared teeth. He felt claws pierce his arms and legs as he struggled to escape. They had got him.

He backhanded the dog closest to him, knocking it a few feet away, but his strength was fading fast. His muscles groaned in protest as he managed to climb to his knees. Another furry fiend replaced its downed pack member and lunged at him. Pain rippled through his arm as the beast sunk its teeth deep into his flesh. Immediately his white shirt sleeve was stained red with blood. The canine refused to let him go as he tried to tug free.

Finally he scrambled to his feet. He yanked his arm from the hounds bite, leaving behind a large chunk of muscle. Seizing his chance he ran from the clearing, clutching his bloodied arm to his chest.

The Hounds were close behind.

* * *

**New York**

Clad in a black trench coat and dark shades, Gastoul moved like a shadow through the New York crowds. All around people walked and talked on their cell phones, oblivious to the murderer that stalked their streets.

He slid his hand into his pocket and fingered the small vial. He checked that the dart gun was still concealed beneath his coat as he approached his destination. The skyscraper was huge with a strange shaped penthouse at the top. Large satellite dishes and high tech equipment perched precariously on the building. A gaggle of eager fans that appeared to be permanently camped outside waited for a glimpse of the famous foursome.

Gastoul walked past them and headed down the alley to the right of the Baxter Building. Stealth was key for this operation to work. And he needed it to work if he wanted to live. He found a small back door and easily jimmied the lock. Knowing that the elevators would alert the target to his presence he headed for the service stairs and took them two at a time.

It took ten minutes to make the journey. He was struggling a bit by the time he reached the top of the stairs. He internally cursed his old age as his back starting to ache and he wheezed a little. He found another door that led directly into the superheroes headquarters. Doom had told him that this was a blind spot of their security and therefore his best bet for a sneaky entrance.

Once inside he crept towards where he hoped to find his target. The lab.

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

Reed growled uncharacteristically in frustration as the scan threw up no results. There was nothing in Latveria. No hotspots, nothing, not even a slight fluctuation in temperature. The whole situation was baffling the great scientist; not a scenario he found himself in often. _It just wasn't possible._

The light had been sucked from the church, which just broke all laws of physics – only a black hole could do something like that, but there wasn't a black hole in the middle of St Peters. And it was only for a few minutes, surely not enough time to take Johnny...and wouldn't he have fought back? There were no signs of a struggle. He had quite simply disappeared.

His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of his wife. Sue was dressed sensibly in a pair of jeans and a shirt. Her hair blonde hair was tied back and her eyes were puffy from crying. She looked at Reed in hope but his expression told her all she needed to know.

With a small nod she turned and left the lab, not seeing the black shadow that observed silently.

* * *

**Elysium Woods, Latveria**

_I lost them! _Euphoria pumped through Johnny as he kept running, no longer followed by the uncanny yaps of the hounds. He was tiring even quicker than before cause of the amount of blood pouring from the open wound on his arm. He would have to stop soon and wrap it up. An unpleasant thought popped into his head _I've probably got rabies. _

He slowed his pace to a jog, partly because he could no longer sprint and partly because he believed the danger to have passed. The sky was now black, the constant rain still falling, but the thunderstorm and lightening having stopped.

Everything was beginning to look the same now. There was nothing but trees in every direction. It wasn't a case of what looked familiar to guide him, it was more like what was different; he looked out for odd looking trees or rocks to serve as land marks to make sure he wasn't running in circles.

Then he saw something very different. It was a sign of hope; of civilisation. It was a small hunting cabin lost amongst the trees. It was made of wood and looked more like a shed than a cabin; but it was a shelter from the rain and a hideout from the dogs. He put on a light burst of speed as he drew closer. He ran a lap around the outside to check for signs of life or, more importantly, signs of a trap. Satisfied, he yanked open the door and entered.

Inside was just as dark as outside, but it was dryer and warmer. He closed the door behind him to shut out the howling wind and found an old fashioned oil lamp. Everything in this country seemed to be old fashioned. Suddenly the cabin was filled with light, and as Johnny saw the contents his stomach did a back flip.

Machines. Computers. Radios. Communications equipment. Most of it was broken, if not all of it, but there was a chance he'd manage to use something.

The first thing he did was see to his injury. His entire sleeve was dark with blood and it dripped from his fingers. He found some material amongst the junk and took a closer look. The gap where most of his forearm should have been made him feel a little queasy. Blood pooled and spilled from the several torn veins and spurted from an artery. He quickly tied the material around in a make shift tourniquet to stem the flow, knowing that if he kept bleeding he die of blood loss. He had already experienced that one and didn't want to try it again. He tied another piece of fabric round the actual wound in an attempt to prevent infection.

He sat for a second to recover. His breathing was finally beginning to slow down, as was his pulse. His muscles burned angrily from their maltreatment. He was desperately thirsty but there didn't seem to be any water in the building, although there was plenty of rain hammering on the roof.

Finally he drew his attention to the masses of equipment. All of it was dated and looked broken, but he tried them anyway. None of the computers or radios worked because there was no power running to the little hut, but one thing would work. In the corner, buried beneath a pile of papers was an ancient telegraph machine. **[A/N: I **_**think**_** telegraph machines work without electricity; if they don't, I'm sorry – just suspend disbelief for a second] **

He relied yet again on his pilot training at NASA as he remembered Morse code. He just hoped the Baxter Building would pick up the message.

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

The Great Reed Richards was having a bad day. _Understatement._

It had started off so well and positively as he waited with Ben at the altar for Alicia to walk down the aisle; and then it had all gone so horribly wrong. Sue had been so quiet since Johnny had disappeared; she kept checking in to see if Reed had made any progress, but she rarely spoke.

Reed sighed heavily and rubbed his tired face. He still wore his shirt and trousers from the wedding and his once neat hair was now spiked in all directions. He tried yet again to focus on the screen in front of him, but the reams of numbers just blurred and meshed together. He had done another satellite sweep of Latveria but still Johnny's heat signature was not being found. He couldn't find it anywhere in the world, making Reed fear the worse.

He didn't know how he would tell Sue if he could never find her brother. She was relying on him to magically conjure up a solution. And what about Ben and Alicia? It was 4:30 now, maybe if they could find Johnny tonight they could leave for their honeymoon tomorrow. Unless there was nothing left to be found.

A loud siren sounded from one of the many machines Reed had set up to receive signals. Of all the ways of communication, Reed hadn't expected this one. The modernised telegraph machine beeped furiously in a sequence of long and short bursts, the translated letters appearing on the screen.

**SOS ITS JOHNNY NEED HELP DOOM ELYSIUM WOOD LATVERIA QUICK DOGS-**

The communication abruptly ended. But it was enough. Reed immediately began typing on another computer console, pulling up the co-ordinates of the woods and uploading them to the fantasticar.

This news was too good to use the impersonal communicators, so Reed fled the lab and pounded the halls until he came to the apartment he shared with Sue. He slammed open the door in excitement, but paused at the sight of the empty room. Surely she would be in here?

Maybe she was in the lounge. Reed took off running back down the corridor and turned into the spacious living area. But she wasn't there either. Confused and starting to worry; Reed engaged his communicator with a small click. "Sue?" he called "Can you hear me? Where are you?" but he just received static. Something definitely wasn't right.

"Ben?" Reed asked the empty corridor. A gruff grunt sounded over the communicator. "Have you seen Sue? I can't find her."

"_I haven't seen her since this morning_," Ben replied. Reed's worry doubled. "_What's up egghead?"_

"I received a telegraph from Johnny, I know where he is," Reed explained, he paused as Ben asked the usual questions. Reed hesitated for a moment, torn between two choices. "It sounded like Johnny was in real trouble...but I can't leave without Sue..."

"_You don't think Suzie's already there, do you?_" Ben suggested, "_She was very sure it was Doom. She might have gone after him on her own..._"

"No...She wouldn't..." Reed shook his head as if Ben could see him. "...she wouldn't...would she?"

* * *

**Ooh! So they know where Johnny is...but where's Susan gone...? Maybe I should rename this story something like "the Case of the Missing Storms" lol :P**

**I love all the reviews! Please keep them up! They make me **_**really**_** happy! :D**


	5. The Pursuit

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

Of course I don't own the fantastic four! Would I really be doing this in my imagination when I could do it in real life?

**Author's Notes:**

**Time Zones:** New York 17:00, Latveria 23:00

Thanks to ebuchala, Dark Respite, marinawings, Penny3 and TigerLily1221 for reviewing!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Pursuit **

**The Baxter Building**

**Approximately Two Hours Earlier**

It was meant to be such a fantastic day. Sue was the _maid of honour_ at Alicia's wedding, the best friend to the bride. She had been so looking forward to it, repaying Alicia for everything she did for all of Sue's weddings. She was glad that the ceremony had finished before the blackout; she wouldn't wish the hassle of what she and Reed had had on anybody.

Then the newlyweds were going to go away on their honeymoon; the Baxter building was going to seem so empty without them. Well, something had stayed the same – the building did seem empty without Johnny.

It had been about ten minutes since she had last checked in with Reed. Maybe he had come up with something by now. She stood and sighed, knowing that her husband would have eagerly come and found her if there was any news. She left the apartment she shared with Reed and headed towards the lab. She wiped at her eyes just in case she had tears in them.

She had to be strong; she wasn't a weak woman. She could handle pretty much any situation. Unless it involved her brother. When she saw some of the stunts he pulled on the Moto X or any other show she always felt like she was having a heart attack from worry. She didn't know what she would do without him. They were always close, even when they were fighting. Sue tried to remember what the last thing she had said to him was

_No! I mustn't think like that!_ Sue scolded herself. He wasn't gone. She would get him back. With new resolve she pushed open the door to the lab, just catching the sound of Reed growling in frustration. She saw his tired face and rumpled formal clothes and sighed again. He caught her eye and his expression told her everything she needed to know.

He hadn't found Johnny. She nodded slowly and turned, allowing her disappointment and worry bleed into anger once he couldn't see her. She didn't blame Reed. It wasn't his fault. She blamed Doom. _I should have killed him when I had the chance._

Why couldn't he leave them alone? The villain seemed hell bent on ruining her life, going through her brother, her one true weakness, to get to her. Well she'd show him. Two could play at this game.

She knew where she would find Doom. He was in Latveria, hiding in his castle, believing he was invincible. She'd show him. She'd find him and make him wish he had never met her.

The hatred boiled inside her as she changed direction and headed towards the hangar with the fantasticar. She'd find Johnny first, make sure he was alive. If Doom had hurt him in any way she would do the same to Doom. An eye for an eye.

But she never got that far. As she marched with purpose towards the hangar she didn't see the shadow of the man that stalked her. Not until it was too late. The small dart pierced the skin in her neck and immediately the liquid absorbed into her system.

The scarred face of Gastoul filled her blurring vision as the tranquilizer took effect and she fell into the darkness.

* * *

**Elysium Woods (present time)**

Johnny tapped feverishly on the small telegraph device. It had taken him about ten minutes to make sure it worked, and to figure out what message he was going to send. By which point the Hounds had picked up his scent.

**SOS ITS JOHNNY- **

A loud thump sounded at the door as something heavy threw itself against it, trying to break through.

**-NEED HELP DOOM-**

Another loud bang against the door. The whole shack shook with the impact. Johnny kept tapping, he had to give a location or they'd never find him. Howling followed as more dogs congregated outside.

**-ELYSIUM WOOD LATVERIA-**

The baying reached new heights in volume, making Johnny's blood run cold. One of the windows smashed next to the door, knocking the precariously placed oil lamp onto the floor. It crashed and spilled its flammable contents across the floor, catching some of the bloody fabric he had used to clean his wound.

-**QUICK DOGS-**

He wanted to type more, but he had no time. The small fire spread quickly through the heaps of junk computers and straw that lined the floor. The dogs cried fiendishly outside, even louder now that the windows were nonexistent.

For a second Johnny watched the flames; it had been a long time since they had presented an actual threat to him. He doubted that he was flameproof with the power suppressor in his system, and he wasn't about to try it. He could feel the comforting heat, drying his soaked clothes. He could also feel the black smoke that filled his lungs and made him choke. He had to get out.

But the dogs. They'd eat him alive if he went out there. _You could stay in here and die of asphyxiation, _he scolded himself sarcastically. But something had changed. He hadn't been afraid of dogs, ever, but the mere thought of facing them was filling him with fear. The smoke got thicker and the flames higher. He'd have to decide quickly; the opportunity to exit the burning shack was quickly disappearing.

Johnny took a deep breath, choked on it, and prepared to run. Then he heard another noise. A rhythmic clomping of heavy hooves. He instinctively knew that it was Doom coming to finish him.

Motivated; Johnny ran for the door and slammed through the weakened wood. His crisply dried clothes were immediately soaked by the thundering rain. The dogs had backed off from the burning building, but quickly homed in on Johnny as he rolled back to his feet and took off in what he hoped was the opposite direction to the horse; and Doom.

The smoke inhalation made running even harder than before. He struggled to suck in oxygen through his burning throat, and his legs felt like jelly beneath him from the short rest. The dogs were snapping round his ankles in seconds and baying victoriously, alerting the huntsman to his position.

The sound of hooves gradually got louder as Doom got closer.

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

"You don't think Suzie's already there, do you?" Ben suggested, "She was very sure it was Doom. She might have gone after him on her own..."

"_No...She wouldn't..."_ Reed's voice echoed across the connection, his disbelief and concern evident in his tone. _"...she wouldn't...would she?"_

Alicia listened to Ben's conversation with with curiosity. She pulled her jacket round her a little tighter in a gesture of worry, her unseeing eyes watching Ben intensely. The rock man rubbed his face making a grating sound.

"I don't know Reed," he shrugged as if Reed could see him. Hesitantly he continued "She still hasn't told us what she did to Doom; how she took him down alone...something's not right with her. I don't know what she'd do anymore." Reed murmured something that Alicia couldn't hear. "Let's just focus on the kid for now. We'll worry about Suzie later."

The friends shared a few more words and then closed the connection. Alicia heard the faint click and headed towards where she could tell Ben was. She placed a hand on his arm and leaned against him comfortingly. She could feel how tense he was and she wished she could help him relax. "What's happening? Has Reed found Johnny?"

"Yeah, we're gonna go rescue Matchstick now," replied Ben distractedly. "By the sounds of it he's in real trouble. We're gonna take Kayla just in case."

"And what about Sue?" questioned Alicia knowing that she was the cause of Ben's concern.

"Suzie...well Suzie's been different since the attack," muttered Ben. "Something's changed, and don't think it was a good change. And now, with Johnny, we don't know what she's capable of..."

"What do you mean?" asked Alicia defensively. She pulled back from Ben and turned as if to look at his face. "You're not suggesting that she'd do anything. She wouldn't."

"No one knows where she is..." Ben began to say.

"Have you thought that she might have gone missing like Johnny? That she might have been taken? Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions," Alicia interrupted. Ben nodded and climbed to his feet, gently guiding Alicia to the bed and sitting her down.

"I've gotta go," Ben murmured quietly. "It will take an hour to get to Latveria. A lot can happen in an hour."

* * *

**Elysium Woods, Latveria**

He toyed with the boy. He had put up quite a chase so far, Doom was impressed. He cantered the horse a couple of feet behind the dogs so that he could watch the boy struggle onwards. He was tired and wounded, but he still kept going.

It would be a shame when Doom killed him.

The blaze from the small shack was almost doused by the heavy rain. A tower of black smoke reached for the sky. Doom could hear the metallic taps of the rain hitting his semi-exposed mask beneath the hood of his heavy cloak. He couldn't push his horse into a full speed gallop because he was too heavy and the horse would tire too quickly.

The boy was slowing significantly. Doom could almost feel the energy draining from him. He stumbled over a sneaky root but managed to stay on his feet. The hounds caught up with him. Snarling teeth and sharp claws dragged him down hard onto the wet ground.

He let out a tired groan which filled Doom with sadistic pleasure. The boy tried to get back up, but he was simply unable to. Doom whistled to the dogs as he climbed down from his horse and landed with a loud thump on the ground. The dogs immediately backed away from the boy, resigning to just growl threateningly at him.

Doom walked slowly towards the boy who tried to drag himself away. He was pale from the amount of blood he had lost from the vicious bite to his arm. He kept eye contact with the predator as he made his feeble attempt at escape. Doom could still see the fight in his eyes. If he had more time he probably would have let the boy try and run for longer.

Instead he grabbed the boy by the collar of his drenched shirt and hauled him to his feet. He leaned in close to the boy's face making him flinch. "I told you that I'd make sure you suffered."

A mixture of fear, defiance, hatred and defeat flickered across the boy's expression. Doom raised his free hand and cruelly back handed the boy across his face, making his head whip round on impact. His body fell limp as he lost consciousness.

A satisfyingly thick river of blood ran down the boy's face from the open wound.

* * *

**Poor Johnny...I'm so cruel to him :P**

**Pretty pretty please review! **


	6. The Game

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

Do I look like I own the Fantastic Four? Am I Stan Lee in disguise? No.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for the late update, I would say that I had writer's block (my favourite excuse) but truthfully my mother banned me from my laptop because I refused to tidy my room. I know, pathetic.

Thanks to ebuchala, Penny3, Revriley, kit572, she-bang-fan and TigerLily1221 for reviewing!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Game **

"I can handle myself you know," Kayla rolled her eyes as she trailed behind the two remaining members of the Fantastic Four. The temperature in the corridor dropped a few degrees to prove her point.

"I'm just saying that this isn't what we pay you to do and that if the worst should happen..." Reed attempted to explain before the icy-powered doctor interrupted.

"Nothing's gonna go wrong," Kayla stated sternly to end the argument. They finally reached the fantasticar hangar. The sleek craft waited patiently for the team, its silver body glinting in the setting sun. The two men wore their skin-tight blue outfits whereas the uniform-less Kayla just stuck to her usual black ensemble, with a med kit slung over her shoulder.

"You do realise this isn't going to become a regular thing don't you?" grumbled Ben, slightly more cranky than usual. He clambered gracefully into his oversized seat at the back of the craft as the doctor climbed into the middle segment.

"If I wanted to be a superhero I'd set up my own team," Kayla sarcastically replied. She paused for a moment. "I'm sensing a spin-off!"

Ben just growled in reply, a low rumbling in the back of his throat. He began flicking switches, bringing the fantasticar to life, just as Reed stretched up into the pilot's seat. The scientist swivelled his head without moving his body to look at his newly assembled team "We'll be in Latveria in under an hour.

"Let's just hope we're not too late."

* * *

**Elysium Castle, Latveria**

Susan Richards woke up with one helluva headache.

She sensed that she was lying on her back on a very cold, very hard surface. Her muscles felt heavy and tired from the after-effects of the drug. She carefully opened her eyes, her vision full of fuzzy lines and brightly coloured spots. A few seconds past and finally her vision cleared.

Cold shivers ran down her spine as she realised where she was. She had only ever been there once before; but she'd never forget it. Elysium Castle; _Doom's_ castle. Years back when she had worked for, and dated, Victor; he had bought her there for a vacation. She hadn't liked the creepy castle then and she definitely didn't like it now.

She dragged herself into a sitting position, ignoring the wave of nausea that threatened at the sudden movement. Everything swayed for an instant. She looked around the room again trying to decipher what part of the castle she was in. From the view out of the window (of a lot of trees) she guessed that she was at the back. She heard the sound of horses neighing somewhere nearby, determining that she was near the stables.

_But why the heck am I here_? She wondered. She was instantly on alert as she pulled herself to her feet. She vaguely remembered being back at the Baxter Building, as well as the hate and the anger that had fuelled her. They returned full force as she recalled the events that had led to this moment.

It went back to before that day. Doom had taken Johnny to get back at her for what she had done to him. She vividly remembered the murderous satisfaction of letting Doom fall to the distant concrete, and shuddered. She didn't like that part of her. That small dark spot in her heart that revelled in the revenge. And it was revenge; she wouldn't have even considered doing that if Doom hadn't stabbed and shocked her brother to within an inch of his life.

It was a vicious cycle that the ex-lovers were trapped in; and Johnny kept getting caught in the middle.

The large oak door opened with a weary creak. A strong breeze and the smell of rain filled the small stone room. The storm still thundered on over Latveria, the sky as black as the soul of the silhouette that filled the doorway. Sue stood her ground as the cloaked and masked man stepped further into the space.

The two stared at each other, the loathing heavy in the air. Doom broke the silence, his menacing metal voice echoing around the stone walls "The trip was pleasant I hope?"

"What do you want Doom?" Sue practically spat, cutting through the pointless small talk.

Although his face was masked, the grin was evident in his tone "I always thought you were the more patient...my, you have changed."

Susan continued to glare at her adversary. She didn't want to admit it, but she _had_ changed since their fight. But that didn't mean she'd give Doom the satisfaction of being right.

"I have a little test; a game if you will," Doom playfully explained, stepping closer to Sue. "It's a very fun game...for me. It's also very simple; you're brother is waiting for you in those woods. All you have to do is find him...and kill him."

"No." Susan refused. She just managed to hold back a laugh. What made Doom think she would kill her own brother? He's more insane than she thought.

"It will be very easy, I've done half the work for you," Doom retorted, oblivious to the true reason Susan wouldn't play his game.

"I'm not going to kill my brother." Sue stated sternly.

"I haven't finished explaining the game Susan," Doom scolded. "There are rules; and a prize."

Susan huffed impatiently. "There's no need for rules. I'm not playing your sick little game."

"Here's the ultimatum. You kill Johnny; or I'll kill both of you." Doom explained shortly. He then teasingly continued "And you'll never get the _prize_."

"Nothing you could ever give me would ever make me hurt Johnny."

Doom nodded as if expecting that answer. "Do you feel a little different Susan? A little weaker perhaps?" the metal man smirked. Susan blinked at him, not following the random questions. "That's because I have given you a power suppressor. Your invisibility? Your force fields? Gone. You are as human as you were before your trip into space. My prize, should you win the game, is that _I_ will take the same drug, making myself human too, and I'll allow you to fight me on a level playing field.

"Think about it. You may win the game; and get the revenge you so desperately desire." Doom suggestively whispered, letting the possibility sink in. He pulled a vicious looking blade from his cloak and offered it to the young woman.

Susan hated the fact that she was tempted. The bloodlust she had struggled to tame for the past year longed for release. To see Doom suffer would be worth it..._no! What are you talking about? Kill your own brother for petty revenge?_ The opportunity to destroy Doom while he wasn't pretty much invincible was a chance she couldn't miss _stop! Stop thinking like that! What's wrong with me? _Johnny would understand...it's me or him..._how could I even think that? No! No! No!_

She couldn't stop the evil smirk that split her face. She gripped the handle of the hunting knife and studied the blade. In a voice that didn't quite belong to her she muttered

"I'll play."

* * *

**Elysium Woods**

It had been a long time since Johnny had last felt like this. Everything hurt. He could no longer distinguish between the different wounds. He hazily remembered a dog biting his arm, and he knew his legs burned from exertion, but he could no longer focus on anything. Something had hit his head...he could feel the slow trickle of blood on his cheek...but what was it?

He was in the woods. He could hear the strong breeze rustle the branches of the trees. It was raining too. He knew that because he was wet. The loud thunder sounded very distant to him and the bright lightening seemed dull. He was in a state of semi-consciousness. Not quite out of it, but definitely not alert. He couldn't tell if he was waking up or falling asleep, he just hung in a state of in-between-ness.

There was movement to his left. It took far too much effort to attempt a look, so he decided to ignore it. But then he recognised the voice. _Sue?_

"Johnny? Oh God! What did he do to you?"

Johnny blearily blinked open his eyes, a familiar face filling his vision. It was Sue, her blonde hair tied-back, her eyes red from tears and her face creased with worry. But there was something else. Even in his state of detachment he could sense something different about his sister. Something that put him on edge.

He tried to say something, to move or gesture in some way, but he found himself unable. There was a glint in her eyes. He saw her sigh resignedly. Her voice was full of real regret and sadness.

"I'm so, so sorry Johnny," she murmured, her hand disappearing from view. "I wish there was another way. H-He said that I have to Johnny. He said that if I d-didn't he'd kill me too." Johnny understood what Sue was saying, knew what she intended to do. He tried to fight back, but he simply couldn't. "But there's more. Now I'll have the chance to finish this. I can end this Johnny, I can kill Doom too. It's going to be okay."

Johnny fought harder against the tiredness and the pain. He managed to barely croak "S-Sue, pl-please, d-don't do this..."

"I'm sorry Johnny. But I have to. Please understand..." Sue disjointedly apologised. "Everything is going to be okay." She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.

Something changed.

* * *

**Please don't hurt me! **

**I will update ASAP to redeem myself for this terrible character twist! **


	7. The Kill

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* * *

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Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

I own: a laptop, an imagination, a fandom for Fantastic Four.

I don't own: the Fantastic Four

**Author's Notes:**

I know I promised a quick update, but this was a hard chapter to write hence why it took so long! I'm not gonna jinx myself by promising a quick update this time :P

Thanks to penny3, ebuchala, marinawings, TigerLily1221, she-bang-fan, Dark Respite, silverangel83 and ProdigiousDiscourse for reviewing!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Kill **

_Do it. He can't defend himself. It will be easy. Think of what this will lead to...the end of Doom, finally...and all you have to do is this. He's suffering, you can see that. Its better this way. Just do it._

"No!" Sue cried as she pushed herself away. Tears ran down her cheeks as she fought against the voice. Why was this happening? Johnny watched her, confused and concerned by her strange behaviour. He tried to reach for her but he was too weak to move.

_Do it! Do it! The revenge will be sweet. All you have to do is..._

"No! No! No!" she almost screamed. She tore the knife from her own grip and threw it as far as she could. "I won't do it! You can't make me!"

_Fine. _The voice sounded pissed. _Don't use the knife. That was the easy way. _The voice seemed to smile, relishing the 'hard way'. _Now you're going to have to strangle him._

Susan felt her body move without her and approach her brother. She watched her hands wrap around his neck. His weakened hands grasped her wrists and tried to break her grip. "S-Sue!" he barely whispered, trying to reach his sister. His already exhausted body couldn't fight her off.

"Stop it! Stop it! Johnny!" Sue sobbed, finally taking back control. She ripped her hands from his throat just as his eyelids fluttered closed. "No, please no...Johnny...I'm so sorry, no..."

_I knew you could do it, Susan._

* * *

"We're almost there!" called Reed from the front of the Fantasticar. Bubble-like windows had formed over the cockpits to protect the passengers from the thundering rain. Visibility was pretty much non-existent due to the stormy weather as they came in for their final approach.

"These woods are huge! How are we gonna find anyone?" asked Ben. All three scanned the dense trees for signs of life but it was impossible to see anything.

"Just keep looking!" Reed replied dejectedly. He pressed a few buttons on his control panel. "I've changed the scanners to pick up thermal readings."

"Are we looking for Sue as well?" asked Kayla as she stared intently at the screen in front of her. There were lots of small heat readings, but none of them were big enough to be human. She looked up when she received no reply from the men. "Well? Are we?"

"Yes, yes we are, but we don't know if she's here," Reed swung the Fantasticar round for another sweep of the huge woods. "She could be back in New York as far as we know..."

"I don't think she is," interrupted Ben from the back. A small beep from the scanner sounded, almost drowned out by the storm. "Cause I think I just found her."

Reed smiled in relief as he saw the yellow-white figure on the screen. He recognised the shape to be that of his wife. He had found her. Now where the hell was Johnny? "We're going in."

A bright blue bolt of electricity zapped through the air, barely missing the side of the Fantasticar. Reed looked again at his scanner to see another figure. This one was cooler, a pink colour. Organic metal. _Doom._

* * *

From a distance, Doom watched the siblings. He grinned eagerly as he saw Susan approach Johnny with the knife. In a few moments the transformation would be complete. There's no coming back from murder.

But something was wrong. He heard the echoed cries of defiance as she pulled away. Why was she fighting it? _How_ was she fighting it? Doom knew the darkness Susan contended with; he himself had embraced it. He had seen it in her eyes that day on the roof. He had seen her potential. And now? Now she was going to throw it away? This gift?

She threw the knife away. No. The darkness wouldn't let her go that easily. It wanted revenge, and it would get it no matter what. Doom took a step forward in anticipation to get a better view. Susan placed her hands around the boy's throat. The darkness had won.

Victory and pride ran through Doom as he watched the woman change before his very eyes. She stood up, staring at her brother, then at her hands. She stopped sobbing pitifully as her hands closed into angered fists. As if sensing his presence she turned and glared straight at him. Her voice had changed. It was stronger, deeper; malevolent. "It's done. I win."

Doom stepped further into the clearing where Susan stood so that there were only a few yards between them. They locked eyes as Doom slowly pulled the vial of red liquid from his cloak and held it up so she could see. He would have to drink it; a dart wouldn't be able to pierce his metal skin. He popped the cork off and gestured 'cheers'.

Suddenly the Fantasticar soared overhead. A low growl sounded deep in his throat at the untimely interruption. How did they know to come here? Doom stared at the still form of Johnny Storm and snarled. _The boy kept ruining everything!_

Angered, Doom dropped the power-sucking liquid to the grassy floor and let lose a stream of electricity at the pesky craft. It missed, irritating Doom even more. Susan watched him with a small smile of satisfaction. He didn't care what it was she was smiling about, just that she would stop. Another jet of blue light collided with her and knocked her out cold. They would have their battle another day.

The two remaining members of the Fantastic Four leapt down from their craft as it hovered to a stop nearby. Doom fired two streams of electricity. Reed dodged one by stretching his midsection to the left, and the other simply bounced off of Ben's rocky skin. Doom was getting more and more angry. He released an inhuman howl of frustration and charged up a second strike.

The duo approached simultaneously. The Thing came in on Doom's right and landed a super-human punch to his metal face. Mr. Fantastic stretched himself round Doom's upper body, restricting his movements. With a snarl Doom electrocuted Reed, flinging him away. Ben retaliated with a series of punches, everything seeming to have little effect.

"Pathetic," Doom retorted impatiently. "You'll have to do better than that."

* * *

Kayla waited for the Fantasticar to hover to a stop before she climbed out, hoping that Doom's attention would be on Reed and Ben rather than her. On the approach she had caught sight of Johnny's pale form. She ran over to him, her med kit at the ready.

What she found broke her heart.

Tears fell down her face as she saw what had happened to him. He was too far gone and she knew it. Maybe if he was at a hospital there was a chance...but she wouldn't give up. She didn't check his pulse, fearing that it would confirm what she dreaded. She wiped and sutured the cut to his forehead. She replaced the bloodied bandage around the bite on his arm.

She saw the red hand-shaped bruises on his neck, knowing that they were too small to belong to Doom.

She did all that she could for him there. She knew that Sue was hurt too and that if she wasted too much time with Johnny she would be too late to help her. A pained cry sounded from Reed as he was shocked by the metal man. He landed not too far from Kayla and remained still. For a moment she feared the worst, but he stirred and launched himself back into the fight.

The Doctor moved on to her next patient. There was an electrical burn mark on Sue's shirt from the assault. Kayla gently lifted her head and checked her pulse. It was there, low and rhythmic. She was just unconscious. "Sue? Can you hear me?"

Sue murmured something under her breath so quietly that Kayla almost didn't hear her. "...sorry...so sorry Johnny...had to...had to get Doom...sorry..."

"Sue? Sue? What are you talking about?" Kayla asked, remembering the bruises on Johnny's neck. "What did you do?"

Susan came to suddenly, her eyes wild and searching. She saw her brother and pushed Kayla out of the way so that she could get to him. She knelt by his side and tentatively stroked his pale face. She whispered to him as tears streamed down her cheeks "I fought it Johnny, it's gone now...oh God I'm so sorry...please forgive me...please wake up...it's gone now..."

* * *

The battle continued. No matter what they did, nothing the two superheroes tried had any affect. Doom just kept coming back stronger. He kept electrocuting Reed, heating his rubber skin and making it more and more difficult to return to his normal shape. Ben tried beating the metal man up, but they were two titans that cancelled each other out.

It was Doom that ended it.

He closed his hands into fists, extinguishing the two flickering bolts of electricity. He folded his arms smugly and looked down on his two opponents. Reed, needing a break, gratefully paused his assault. Ben followed suit, although slightly more reluctantly. He may not have actually been hurting the metal man, but that didn't mean it didn't feel good to wale on the guy.

"This is too pathetic," announced Doom, glaring at the two heroes as if they were mud. "This is a waste of my time." He looked past the two men "Besides; my work here is done."

Reed and Ben turned to see what Doom was looking at. They had found Johnny, but not quite the way they had hoped. Reed watched Sue mourning and felt his heart pang with regret. He had failed her. Ben refused to believe what he was seeing. _The Kid...he couldn't be..._

When Reed turned back to angrily retaliate, Doom was already gone.


	8. Echoes

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – Hunted**

**Summary: **

Sequel to 'Retribution' - Following his failed attempt to destroy the Fantastic Four, Doom makes good on his threat "You will pay... you will suffer every bit as much as I have. Enjoy the time you've got, there's not much left of it..." Johnnycentric as always :D siblingness

**Disclaimer: **

For the last time: I do not own the Fan4

**Author's Notes:**

And so this is the end of Hunted :C This is just a little epilogue to tie up the many lose ends!

I can't believe I've had 43 reviews! My personal best! XD

Thanks to marinawings, ebuchala, jellybean367, ProdigiousDiscourse, penny3, Dark Respite, *pauses for breath* Autumnights, Oh-my-Ra, Tigerlily1221 and silverangel83 for reviewing! Phew, that was long :D

Enjoy!

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**Epilogue: Echoes **

**Echo Sands Resort, the Bahamas**

The sunshine was gloriously bright as it hung lazily in the sky. The white sand beaches were blissfully warm underfoot whereas the crystal blue seas were refreshingly cool. The summer trade drew families and tourists as well as the honeymooning couples.

Ben watched some children nearby playing in the sand and felt a pang of regret run through him. He knew Johnny wasn't actually a kid, but they always seemed to remind the rock man of him. He vividly remembered the young man's face back in those woods. He was impossibly still and cold and deathly white...Ben closed his eyes against the images. That was two weeks ago. Things had changed since then.

"Ben? What are you thinking about?" asked Alicia. Even without her sight she could tell her new husband was upset. She leant against his arm to offer him comfort.

"Nothing...it's just..." Ben sighed heavily. He stopped looking at the children and took to staring across the seemingly still water. He felt guilty, that was the problem. That day he had been desperate to get to this place, to be on his honeymoon, and now here he was...it just didn't feel right. "It's just...do you think...I don't know."

"Come on Ben, spit it out," Alicia feigned exasperation.

"Do you think this is okay...us being here...after everything..." Ben vaguely explained.

Alicia leaned against his chest, feeling it rise and fall beneath her. She could hear his heavy heart beating under the rocky skin. "Is this about Johnny?" she felt Ben take a sharp intake of breath. "We said our goodbyes. We all just need to move on from this Ben." She could sense that there was more worrying him. "And Sue...well Sue needs to sort herself out." Her voice took on a more seductive tone "Besides, we deserve this Ben. We deserve some relaxation, some privacy..."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Ben caught Alicia's ever-so-subtle hint and hugged her closer, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. He stroked her dark hair back from her face and suggestively continued "Let's head back to the hotel..."

* * *

**The Baxter Building**

It was gone. She was sure it was gone now. It had to be.

Susan sat on the bed she shared with Reed, her legs drawn up as she hugged herself tightly. Back in the woods she had fought it back. It had been too late, but it was still gone and that was all that mattered. Well, she hoped it was gone at least. But what the hell was 'it'?

Last year 'it' had driven her to violently drop Doom several storeys onto bone breaking concrete. Two weeks ago 'it' had pushed her to kill her brother just so that 'it' could taste revenge. Maybe Doom was right. Maybe she had the potential to become an evil villain like him. Maybe she was just a ticking time-bomb waiting to explode. Who would she hurt next?

"Is it safe to come in?" came a voice through the door.

"That's not funny Johnny." Sue replied as her brother opened the door a crack and peered through.

"I wasn't joking."

Sue just sighed and hugged herself a little tighter. Cautiously Johnny entered the room, but he left the door slightly open behind him as he stood a good distance away from his sister. It had been a close one, again. This time his heart had stopped. For a whole five minutes Johnny had been dead. Now it was like it had never happened. His arm was still wrapped tightly in a white bandage and sutures ran along his hairline but he standing and talking and pretty much back to being Johnny.

Unless he was around Sue. Then he was quiet and withdrawn. Scared. Whenever he looked at her he half-expected to see 'it'. He was having trouble sleeping, just waiting for Sue to snap so that she could finish the job. He hadn't been alone with her since the woods. When he had been out cold in the medical room Kayla had always stayed. She knew what had happened, even if she never admitted it out loud.

"What happened Sue?" asked Johnny, still maintaining a 'safe' distance. His sister looked up at him and he was relieved to see there was no darkness in her eyes.

"You remember then?" Sue replied, desperately hoping he didn't. The haunted look she received confirmed her fears. "You remember what happened last year?"

"Vividly." Johnny visibly shuddered and unconsciously placed a hand over the healed stab wound.

"That's when it first happened. You had just shown up and taken the hit. I thought you were dead...that's why I did it..."

"Did what?" Johnny asked tentatively, the image of the deformed Doom limping towards him appeared in his mind. He remembered not wanting to know what his sister had done then, and he still didn't want to know now, but he listened anyway.

"I trapped him in one of my force fields and carried him all the way to the roof of the building; and then some.

_Sue levitated Doom over the edge, a horrendous drop between him and the ground._

"_You wouldn't," Doom goaded, trying to hide his fear. "It would be very un-heroic of you."_

"_What? Ridding the world of a selfish villain? I think I'd be doing everyone a favour." Sue retorted viciously. She stared into the eyes of the man who had striven to ruin her life, and smiled. It was an evil, contorted smile, sealing his fate._

"_There's hope for you yet." Doom stated as he admired his captor. Without another word the force-field around him disappeared. He fell fast, his metallic structure making him heavy. Sue watched satisfactorily until she heard the crunching sound of Doom meeting the concrete._

"I remember the satisfaction clearly. It felt so good to have finally inflicted some pain. But I knew it was wrong, part of me knew that I wouldn't do that...it was just so..."

"Evil?" finished Johnny. He had relaxed ever so slightly, knowing that it _was_ his sister he was talking to. But he still didn't go any closer. Sue gazed up at him, tears threatening to fall.

"For the five or so minutes between you being hit and Doom smacking into the concrete it was like I was someone else. It was dark and full of hatred, but it still felt good," A scary smile flittered across her features but then disappeared. Johnny wasn't even sure he had seen it. "When it went away I just forgot about it. I assumed Doom was dead. I thought it was over. But then...then you disappeared..."

"So what? I'm the trigger? Something happens to me and you go dark side?" Johnny interrupted defensively. "Is that why you tried to kill me?"

"No! No, th-that wasn't it," Sue uncurled slightly and made a small move towards him. Johnny took a wary step back. "No, Doom offered me a choice, and I made a decision that I would _never_ have made. He said that if I didn't he'd kill me too."

Johnny remained silent.

Sue sighed dejectedly. "If he had stopped there we'd probably both be dead right now. But that day, on the roof, he had seen the darkness and he knew exactly how to make it take control. He promised that if I killed you he would take the suppressor and I would have the chance to take him out for good. He offered 'it' the revenge 'it' wanted."

"The opportunity was too good to miss," finished Johnny coldly. "That's why you killed me."

Sue felt the words as if Johnny had burned her. The tears that had threatened for the past ten minutes fell freely down her cheeks. "I'm sorry Johnny. I'm so sorry. It's gone now though. I fought it and it went away. You know I would never hurt you..."

"I'm not so sure anymore." Johnny turned away slightly and placed a hand on the door. "Every time I look at you, I see it. You say it's gone but I can see that it's still there. I can't trust you anymore Sue."

"No, please, please don't say that..." Sue begged, but Johnny just left the room without looking back.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

**Elysium Castle, Latveria**

Doom shouted a series of expletives in quick succession. What did it take to kill the boy? He just kept coming back every time that Doom knocked him down. And Susan? That wretched woman could never do a job properly.

He hammered a metal hand down, denting his desk as he watched the screens before him. Their very existence enraged Doom. He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he began hating them, but he knew that unless they were eliminated he would never quite reach his true Godliness.

And he was a god. Superior to humans. Greater than the _Fantastic Four._

And that's why he wouldn't resort to crude methods of eradicating them. His final revenge would have poetry. And this would be the _final_ time. There would be no escape. No _survival._

"Leonard..." Doom murmured. Immediately the small man appeared. "It is time to greet our guest properly. Bring the good doctor up."

Leonard disappeared just as mysteriously as before. Doom watched the monitors as he waited. The two siblings were talking in Richard's room. Sue was upset and Johnny was nervous. At least there had been some long term affect on the pair.

Abruptly the large doors to the room opened. Leonard marched in with two doombots following. Between them they held a semi-conscious man. His clothes were dirty and torn and he desperately needed a shave. His dirty-blonde hair was too long and hung down round his pale face.

Doom allowed himself a smile. Yes, this revenge would definitely be poetic.

"Dr. Storm, how nice of you to join us."

* * *

**And that's your lot! This fic is now finished! XD However I am seriously considering a(nother) sequel. Mwahahaha, I just have to come up with a bit more plot :P**

**This has been really fun to write and I'd like to say one more final thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and alerted this fic – hopefully see you for the sequel! XD**

**Until then, bye! **


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